Latch device



W. A. ENDTER LATCH DEVICE Aug; 14, 1956 Filed Oct. 5, 195a ATTOENE).

I INVENTOR. MLDEMAR A. YEA/D752,

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 14, 1956 w. A. ENDTER 2,758,860

LATCH DEVICE Filed Oct. 5, 1953 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MLDEMAR .4. 53/0752,

w. A. ENDTER Aug. 14, 1956 LATCH DEVICE Filed Oct. 5. 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I INVENTOR. MADE-M42 A. Evans-2, "Wu: 0%;

47-Ta2A/Ey.

United States Patent LATCH DEVICE Waldemar A. Endter, Long Beach, Calif.

Application October 5, 1953, Serial No. 384,096

9 Claims. (Cl. 29252) This invention relates to improved latch mechanisms, of a type particularly adapted for use as automobile door latches. In certain respects, the present devices are improvements on the latches disclosed in my copending application No. 271,932, filed February 16, 1952, on Latching Mechanism.

The above mentioned application is concerned with a type of latch mechanism including a camming bolt element which is adapted to override a keeper surface upon closing movement of a door, and to then progressively cam the door in a closing direction to effect an automatic take-up action. The particular novelty in my prior application resides in the provision of a unique dogging element in conjunction with such a bolt, the dogging element serving to releasably hold the bolt against antilatching movement from latched position. As will be understood, the use of such a dogging element is of considerable importance in assuring positive retention of a cam type bolt in latched position, since a cam type bolt can not itself be entirely positive in action, and may under certain unusual vibrative conditions have a tendency to shift in an antilatching direction. In a preferred form of my prior invention, the dogging element is movably carried by the bolt itself, and both the bolt and dogging element are of the pivoting type.

The general object of the present invention is to provide improved means for releasing the dogging element of a mechanism of the above type, and especially for automatically releasing the element upon closing of the door, to permit keeper overriding deflection of the bolt into latched position. Particularly contemplated is a releasing mechanism which permits simplification of the latch mechanism as a whole, while at the same time assuring an extremely positive and reliable type of release action.

In order to attain such combined simplicity and operational effectiveness, I utilize as an automatic dog releasing member an element which serves also a second function as a safety catch member. Upon door closing movement of the latch mechanism, this safety catch element is defiected by and overrides the keeper in advance of the overriding deflection of the bolt, and thus retains the door in a partially closed safety position in the event of incomplete closure of the door. This bolt overriding deflection of the safety catch element is utilized for effecting automatic release of the dogging element, in order to permit the subsequent overriding deflection of the bolt into latched position.

To allow for most effective operation of the dog releasing element as a safety catch member, this element is preferably mounted for movement relative to both the bolt and dogging element. For assuring most effective and positive interaction of the various latch parts, I find it most desirable to form the safety catch member .as a portion of, or attach it to, a manually operated bolt releasing element, whose main function is to manually release the bolt when it is desired to open the latched door. This one part of the device then serves three distinct functions, that is, it serves as a manual bolt releasing member, 21

Patented Aug. 14, 1956 ice safety catch, and an automatic release for the bolt dogging element upon closing of the door.

The safety catch portion of the element may itself act to transmit antilatching movement from the manual operator to the bolt. For this purpose, the safety catch may engage and bear in an antilatching direction against a forward face of the bolt, which desirably extends substantially radially of the pivotal axis of the bolt. The safety catch may comp-rise a pin projecting along the for- 0 ward side of this bolt face and slidable radially therealong.

The above and other features and objects of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the typical embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of a car door latch mechanism and keeper constructed in accordance with the present invention, and showing the positioning of the latch mechanism and keeper just as they commence to engage during a closing movement of the door;

Fig. 1a shows the inner side of the latch mechanism, with the parts in the same position as in Fig. 1;

Figs. 2 and 2a are outer and inner views of the latch mechanism, corresponding to Figs. 1 and la respectively, but showing the latch bolt and safety catch element after having been deflected by further closing movement of the car door.

Fig. 3 is an external view of the latch mechanism,showing the parts in a safety catch or partially interengaged position;

Figs. 4 and 4a are outer and inner views respectively of the latch mechanism, shown in the fully latched position;

Figs. 5 and So are outer and inner views of the mechanism showing the bolt and other parts in the positions to which they are manually actuated by an inside or outside operator for opening of the door;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. la;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 4a;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the dogging part .and bolt in the Fig. 4:: position, with several of the parts broken away; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the mechanism as it first arrives at safety catch position.

Referring first to Fig. 1, I have shown fragmentarily at 10 a conventional car door, to the edge of which is mounted .a latch mechanism 11, adapted to interengage with a keeper or striker element 12 mounted to the usual door ja-mb upon closing of the door. The latch mechanism includes a mounting plate 13, which pivotally carries a cam type bolt element 14 for engagement in holding relation with the keeper 12. Spaced above bolt 14, plate 13 carries a horizontally elongated bearing member 15, for engaging the upper surface 16 of the keeper. Upon closing movement of the door, keeper 12 first deflects and passes a movable safety catch member 17, and then deflects and passes the bolt 14.

At its inner side, plate 13 pivotally carries a bolt releasing element 18, to which is mounted the safety catch member 17. As will be brought out at a later point, releasing element 18 is actuable in essentially convention manner by both inside and outside operators, and upon such actuation moves bolt 14 in an antilatching direction, to permit opening of the door. Also at the inner side of plate 13, there is a dogging part 19, which acts to prevent unwanted antilatching movement of bolt 14 as a result of vibration of the door and latch parts in use. Upon opening of the door, the bolt unlatching movement of releasing element 18 serves the secondary function of releasing dogging part 19, in a manner permitting the desired antilatching movement of the bolt.

Plate '13 is typically formed of rigid sheet metal and fastened to the edge of door by screws 20. The plate may be turned at a slight angle to the vertical, as shown, in conformity to the usual angularity of modern car doors. Along one edge, plate 13 has an essentially vertically extending inturned portion 13a, to which certain parts of the latch mechanism are attached.

Keeper 12 is attached to the door jamb by a pair of screws 21, and has the configuration illustrated in Fig. l, and several others of the figures. Upon closing movement of the door 10, safety catch 17 and bolt 14 successively engage and override the undersurface of the keeper. This lower portion of the keeper has a pair of inclined essentially downwardly facing surfaces 22 and 23, the first of which faces downwardly and inwardly to. engage and hold the bolt in latched position. Upwardly beyond surface 23, keeper 12 has a rear surface 23a, which is engaged by safety catch element 17 in the Fig. 3 safety catch positive of the lock. As will be brought out more. fully at a later point, surface 23a is disposed at a greater inclination than surface 23, to assure position holding of the safety catch member. The inclination of surfaces 22 and 23 with respect to the horizontal may be the same, and the inclination of rear surface 23a and a corresponding forward surface 22a may similarly be the same, so that the same keeper element 12 may be utilized for both right hand and left hand opening doors.

Bolt 14 is mounted about a pin 24, attached to the outer side of plate 13, for pivotal movement about an axis extending transversely of the direction of movement of latch mechanism 11 relative to keeper 12 (as indicated by arrows 124 in Fig. 1). The bolt has a keeper engaging cam surface 25 extending eccentrically with respect to the pivotal axis of the bolt, and engageable with surface 23 of the keeper in latched condition of the apparatus. More specifically, cam surface 25 of the bolt may be cylindrical and centered about an axis 26 offset from the pivotal axis of the bolt, so that clockwise rotation of the bolt (as seen in Fig. 1) exerts a camming action against surface 23 of the keeper, in a manner progressively wedging the latch mechanism and door in a takeup or door closing direction. The bolt 14 is yieldingly and continuously urged in this latching direction (clockwise as seen in Fig. 1) by a coil spring 27 received within an annular recess in a circular hub portion 28 of the bolt, and having its opposite ends 29 and 30 acting against or fixed to the bolt and plate 13 respectively. The first end 29 of spring 27 may act against the bolt by extension laterally into a hollowed out inner recess 31 in the keeper engaging head 14a of the bolt.

The bolt mounting pin 24 may be attached at its outer end to a sheet metal housing member 32, having an essentially cylindrical portion extending about and enclosing the circular hub portion 28 of the bolt. Housing 32 is rigidly attached in any suitable manner to plate 13, and may have a portion 32a extending about the location of safety catch 17 and bolt 14. At the location of this safety catch member and bolt, housing 32 and plate 13 have registering openings 33 through which the mechanism at the inside of plate 13 is connected to the parts at the outside of the plate.

The keeper engaging head 14a of bolt 14 has a forward planar surface 34 preferably extending radially of the pivotal axis of the bolt, and against which safety catch member 17 movably bears. This safety catch member 17 is preferably cylindrical, and extends parallel to the pivotal axis of the bolt.

The releasing element 18 may be formed of sheet metal and extends parallel to plate 13. At one end, releasing element 18 is pivotally mounted about a pin 35 attached to plate 13, so that the releasing element swings parallel to the plate. A coil spring 36 extending about an outer end of pin 35 acts to yieldingly urge releasing element 18 in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 1a, the spring having one of its ends 37 turned transversely and received within a transverse groove in pin 35, and having its other end 38 turned outwardly and bearing against a turned car 39 formed on releasingelement 18.

Releasing element 18 is actuable in a counterclockwise direction as seen in Fig. 1a against the tendency of spring 36, and by such actuation serves to move bolt 14 and safety catch 17 in an antilatching direction, to permit opening movement of the door. The safety catch member 17 is rigidly attached at its inner end 40 to a lower portion of element 18. Upon downward swinging movement of releasing element 18, the carried safety catch member 17 bears against surface 34 of bolt 14 in a manner displacing the bolt in antilatching direction. Element 18 and safety catch member 17 thus form together a releasing part or unit, for moving the bolt in its antilatching direction. Except when keeper 12 is interengaged with the latch mechanism, the safety catch member limits the movement of bolt 14 in its latching direction.

Releasing element 18 is adapted to be manually actuated downwardly, that is, in bolt releasing direction, by either an inside operator or an outside operator. The inside operator may comprise the usual swinging handle (not shown), connected by the usual elongated axially movable strap or rod 41 to one arm of a bell crank 42, which is pivoted at 43 to the inturned flange portion 13a of mounting plate 13 (see Fig. 6). A second arm 44 of bell crank 42 engages the upper side of a projecting portion 45 of releasing element 18, to actuate the releasing element downwardly in response to clockwise pivotal movement of bell crank 42 as seen in Fig. 6, upon actuation of the operator at the inside of the door.

The outside operator may comprise an axially movable push button element fragmentarily illustrated at 46, acting against a turned portion 47 of a crank member 48, which is pivoted about the same shaft or pin 35 that carries the releasing element 18. Crank 48 is cut away at the location of ear 39 on the releasing element, to present a downwardly facing shoulder 49, which engages an upper side of car 39 to transmit counterclockwise swinging movement (as seen in Fig. 1a) from crank 48 to releasing element 18, At its lower end, crank 48 has a portion 50, into the path of which is movable a flange 51 of a pivotal locking member 52, to lock member 48 when desired against bolt releasing movement. Lock element 52 is pivoted about an inner end of pin 24, for swinging movement between the locked position shown in broken lines in Fig. 1a and the released position shown in full lines in that figure. An overcenter spring 53, connected at opposite ends to element 52 and flange 21 of plate 13, releasably retains element 52 in either of its two illustrated positions. This locking element is manually actuable between the locking and unlocking positions by a vertically extending and vertically movable rod 54, connected at its upper end to the usual garnish mold button 55 at the inside of the door.

The clogging part 19 is carried by and pivotable relative to bolt 14a. To mount the dogging part for such pivotal movement, bolt 14 rigidly carries a pin 56, which projects to an inner side of plate 13, and about an inner end of which is pivotally mounted the dogging part. This 'pin 56 extends parallel to the pivotal axis of bolt 14 itself, so that pivotal axes of the bolt and dogging part are parallel. The dogging part is yieldingly urged in a clockwise direction (as seen in Fig. 1a) relative to bolt 14, by a coil spring 57 extending about pin 56 and connected at its opposite ends 58 and 59 respectively to the dogging part and bolt. A laterally projecting portion 60 of the dogging part engages the underside of releasing element 18, to limit the clockwise pivotal movement of the dogging part. The undersurface of releasing element 18 may be cut away to substantially fit the upper surface of dogging part 19 in the positions which these parts assume when the door is open.

Dogging part 19 has a depending portion, at the lower end of which are formed a series of teeth 61, which present a series of stepped downwardly facing shoulders 62 adapted to engage an upper surface of a turned ear 63 on plate 13, to limit downward antilatching movement of bolt 14 and the dogging part, and thus prevent accidental opening of the door. The provision of several such teeth allows for the positive retention of the bolt by the dogging part against antilatching movement from any of different latched positions.

The upper bearing member 15 spaced above the bolt 14 may be hollow, and mounted to plate 13 by extension of an outer end portion of pin 35 into an end portion of member 15. The outer end of pin 35 may extend through the outer wall of member 15, and be peened at the outside of that member to positively retain it to the plate. The second end of member 15 may be attached to plate 13 in any suitable manner. The angularity of member 15 with respect to plate 13 is such that the undersurface of member 15 extends substantially horizontally when plate 13 is mounted to the door, so that the undersurface of member 15 is slidably engageable with the correspondingly horizontal upper surface 16 of keeper 12.

In describing the operation of the illustrated mechanism, assume first that the door is opened, and is then moved in a closing direction to the position in which safety catch member 17 first engages the undersurface of keeper 12. In this position, the various parts assume the positions illustrated in Figs. 1 and 1a. As the door is advanced in a closing direction beyond the positions of Figs. 1 and 1a, safety catch member 17 is deflected downwardly by the keeper to override the keeper and then move upwardly along surface 23 of the keeper to a latched position of engagement with surface 23a. Figs. 2 and 2a show the position of safety catch member 17 after it has been deflected downwardly by the keeper and just prior to the point at which it commences to ride upwardly along surface 22 of the keeper.

It is noted that, as the safety catch member 17 is deflected downwardly by keeper 12, the safety catch member bears against bolt surface 34 in a manner deflecting the bolt in an antilatching direction. Also during such downward deflection of the safety catch member 17, releasing element 18 displaces arm 60 of dogging part 19 downwardly, in a manner effecting counterclockwise rotation of the dogging part (as seen in Fig. 1a) relative to the bolt, so that the toothed portion of the dogging part moves downwardly along the right side of ear 63 of plate 13 to the position of Fig. 2a. That is, releasing element 18 acts, upon its deflection resulting from engagement of keeper 12 with safety catch member 17, to rotate dogging part 19 relative to the bolt and to a released position, in which the dogging part no longer prevents antilatching movement of the bolt.

As the door is closed further, safety catch member 17 moves upwardly along surface 23 to the Fig. 3 safety holding position of engagement with surface 23a, the bolt moving into direct engagement with keeper 12. In this Fig. 3 position, the safety catch member holds the door against opening movement, and the keeper holds bolt 14 in a position in which dogging part 19 remains completely released. That is, the downwardly facing tooth shoulders 62 all remain well below the location of the upper surface of car 63 with which those tooth surfaces are engageable. In this released position, the side surface 64 of the depending toothed portion of dogging part 19 engages the side of ear 63.

Upon still further closing movement of the door, keeper 12 deflects bolt 14 further downwardly to override the keeper, and ultimately move upwardly into the latched position of Figs. 4 and 4a, in which cam surface 25 of the bolt engages and bears against keeper surface 23. Spring 27 yieldingly urges bolt 14 in its latching direction, so that the camming surface 25 of the bolt acts to progressively cam the latch mechanism and door in a door closing or takeup direction.

As bolt 14 moves upwardly in a latching direction along keeper surface 23, dogging part 19 rises so that its tooth surfaces 62 progressively move into holding engagement with the upper surface of ear 63. As each tooth surface 62 moves into active position opposite ear 63, it becomes effective to prevent antilatching movement of the bolt beyond a predetermined latched position. The positions at which the second and third shoulders 62 block antilatching bolt movement are of course advanced progressively beyond the position at which the first of these shoulders hold the bolt. A plurality of teeth are provided on the dogging part to positively lock the bolt against antilatching movement even though it may not be initially moved to a completely home position. Also, when several such teeth are provided, there is nothing critical as to just where the completely home position may be, since the dogging part will serve its function effectively regardless of which tooth engages ear 63 in fully latched condition. In Fig. 4a, we have typically illustrated a condition in which the intermediate one of the three shoulders 62 "acts as the final holding surface of the dogging part when the door is completely closed. If the rubber cushion on the door were then to become compressed from use, the bolt and dogging part might ultimately advance in l'atchedcondition to positions in which the lowermost of the shoulders 62 moves opposite and is engageable with ear 63.

With the door closed, and the latch mechanism in the condition of Figs. 4 and 4a, the bolt may be released by actuation of either the push button 46 or the inside operator (not shown). As previously brought out, both of these operators serve to swing releasing element 18 downwardly about pin 35, the push button acting against element 18 through crank 48, and the inside operator against element 18 through strap 41 and crank 42. Such downward movement of releasing element 18 causes safety catch 17 carried by the releasing element to bear against bolt surface 34, to simultaneously [actuate the bolt and safety catch member downwardly to the unlatc'hed door opening positions of Figs. 5 and 5a. During such downward movement of the releasing element, the releasing element acts downwardly against arm of dogging part 19, to rotate the dogging part relative to the bolt to a released position in which the dogging part may move downwardly alongside ear 63 to the Fig. 5a posi tion. The door is then free to be opened.

If locking part 52 is in its locked broken line position of Fig. 1a prior to a closing movement of the door, the closing of the door acts automatically to release the lock, that is to swing locking element 52 to its full line position of Fig. 1a. For effecting this result, locking element 52 is positioned directly beneath dogging part 19, and at a location sudh that the lowermost shoulder 62 on the dogging part engages locking element 52 and displaces it downwardly, upon movement of the depending toothed portion of the dogging part to the position of Fig. 2a.

. Thus, as the parts reach the position of Fig. 2a upon closing movement of the door, the downward deflection of safety catch member 17 acts through releasing part 18 and bolt 14 to displace the dogging part downwardly in a manner moving locking part 52 downwardly toward its full line released position of Fig. 1. The pivotal displacement of locking element 52 in this manner of course need only be suflicient to move locking element 52 through a portion of'its unlocking range of movement, and to a point at which the overcenter spring 53 moves it the rest of the way to unlocked condition.

Referring again to the Figs. 3 and 9 safety catch position of the lock, it is desirable that keeper surface 23a be disposed at a great enough inclination to positively prevent it from camming or wedging the engaged safety catch member 17 downwardly toward 'a released position of engagement with keeper surface 23. For this purpose (see Fig. 9) when the safety catch member is engaged with the lowermost portion 72 of surface 23a, that surface desirably extends approximately perpendicularly to a line 70 extending from the center of pivotal movement 71 of the safety catch member (i. e. the 'aXis of pin 35) to the point 72. Preferably, the surface 23a is planar and in the Fig, 9 position extends at a slightly greater inclination to the horizontal (say about 7 degrees greater) than the inclination of a line 73 which is perpendicular to the previously mentioned line 70. With this arrangement, surface 23 has the effect in safety catch position of camming member 17 further upwardly beyond its Fig. 9 position, and can not under any circumstances tend to release the safety catch member.

I claim:

1. In a latch mechanism, the combination comprising a supporting body, a bolt movably carried by said body and adapted to override and move by progressive latching take-up and camming actions along a keeper surface, a spring urging the bolt in a latching direction, a releasable dogging element operatively interposed between and movable relative to the bolt and body and operable to block antilatching movement of the bolt from latched position, a safety catch member mounted to the body for movement relative to both the bolt and dogging element and positioned to be deflected by and override the keeper surface and to move therealong to a latching position in advance of said bolt, and means operable by said safety catch member upon said keeper overriding deflection thereof to release said dogging element and thereby permit movement of the bolt in an antilatching direction as it overrides the keeper, said spring being constructed and positioned to exert yielding force against said bolt in said latching direction continuously during said overriding of the keeper surface by the bolt, and to exert said force when said dogging element is in released position, said safety catch member having a portion positioned to engage the bolt and deflect it in an antilatching direction upon antilatching deflection of the safety catch member.

2. In a latch mechanism, the combination comprising a supporting body, a bolt mounted to said body for pivotal movement about a first axis and adapted to override and move by progressive latching take-up and camming actions along a keeper surface, a spring urging the bolt in a latching direction, a releasable dogging element pivotally carried by said bolt, means carried by said housing engage'able by said dogging element and operable to block antilatching movement of the bolt from latched position, a manually operable releasing part movably carried by the body and operable to actuate said bolt in an antilatching direction, means mounting said releasing part to said body for pivotal movement about a second axis extending essentially parallel to said axis of the bolt, means mounting said dogging element to the bolt for pivotal movement relative thereto about a third ax s extending essentially parallel to the bolt axis and to said axis of the releasing part, said releasing part including means acting to release said dogging element upon antrlatch-ing movement of the releasing part, andsaid releasing part having a safety catch portion positioned to be deflected by and override the keeper surface and move therealong to a latching position in advance of said bolt, said releasing part being so constructed that said keeper overriding deflect-ion of the safety catch portion thereof acts to pivot the releasing element in a directlon releasing said dogging element, said spring being constructed and positioned to exert yielding force against said bolt in said latching direction continuously during said OVEIIldlIlg of the keeper surface by the bolt, and to exert s'a1d force during movement of said releasing part in bolt antilatching direction, and to exert sa'd force when said dogging element is in released position.

3. In a latch mechanism, the combination recited in claim 2, in which said safety catch portion of the releasing part is positioned to engage the bolt and deflect it in an antilatching direction upon antilatching deflection of the releasing part.

4. In a latch mechanism, the combination recited in claim 3, in which said safety catch portion of the releasing part comprises a projection extend-ing essentially parallel to said three axes and bearing against and slidable along a forward face of the bolt which extends essentially radially of the pivotal axis of the bolt.

5. In a latch mechanism, the combination recited in claim 2, in which said dogging element has a plurality of dogging teeth engageable with said body to block antilatching bolt movement from any of a plurality of different latched positions respectively.

6. Ina latch mechanism, the combination comprising a supporting body, a bolt mounted to said body for pivotal movement about a first axis and adapted to override and move by progressive latching take-up and camming actions along a keeper surface, a spring urging the bolt in a latching direction, a releasable dogging element operatively interposed between said bolt and body and operable to block antilatching movement of the bolt from latched position, a manually operable releasing part movably carried by the body and operable to actuate said bolt in an antilatching direction, means mounting said releasing part to said body for pivotal movement about .a second axis extending essentially parallel to said axis of the bolt, said releasing part including means acting to release said dogging element upon antilatching movement of the releasing p'art, and said releasing part having a safety catch portion positioned to be deflected by and override the keeper surface and move therealong to a latching position in advance of said bolt, said releasing part being so constructed that said keeper overriding deflection of the safety catch portion thereof acts to move the releasing element in a direction releasing said dogging element, said spring being constructed and positioned to exert yielding force against said bolt in said latching direction continuously during said overriding of the keeper surface by the bolt, and to exert said force during movement of said releasing part in bolt antilatching direction and when said dogging element is in released position, said safety catch portion of the releasing part being positioned to engage the bolt and deflect it in an antilatching direction upon antilatching deflection of the releasing part.

7. In a latch mechanism, the combination recited in claim 6, including a spring yieldingly resisting bolt releasing pivotal movement of said releasing part.

8. In a latch mechanism, the combination recited in claim 6, in which said safety catch portion of the releasing part comprises a pin projecting alongside and engaging a forward face of the bolt and extending essentially parallel to said axes of the bolt and releasing part.

9. In a latch mechanism, the combination recited in claim 8, in which said forward face of the bolt extends essentially radially of the bolt axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 919,579 Holtzhouser Apr. 27, 1909 2,047,401 Whitted July 14, 1936 2,246,782 Dall June 24, 1941 2,246,787 Dall June 24, 1941 2,301,559 Marple Nov. 10, 1942 2,468,644 Springer Apr. 26, 1949 2,582,923 Dall Jan. 15, 1952 

